Stories From the Frontline Jan. 23, 2017

1-22-17~ Eryn Wise… Yesterday’s Women’s March on Washington was overwhelming. Upon our arrival Thomas and I were faced with the short tempers, inconsiderate nature and intensity of women we were supposed to be standing in solidarity with.

The indigenous folx present were able to carve out a space in front of the National Museum of the American Indian large enough to form a circle where we spoke, sang, and danced in honor of our foremothers. It was the only space in the march that, for me, felt inclusive and welcoming. After our rally as we tried to enter the march I watched many women be pushed, shoved, yelled at, and cut short by other women. An indigenous woman grabbed my hand, trying to lead me further into the march so that we could catch up with our group and at every turn there was another woman planting her feet before us and saying, “You can’t go by me here. You’ll have to go around.” When this happened friends looked on, nodding their approval and leading some others to even say that “these Indian girls lost their drums. That’s why they’re trying to get through us.”

I realized that I was in a space that had been created with good intention, under the guise of unification but in reality was for white feminists and their vaginas. I thought about my sweet trans, queer, non-identifying, intersectional, and non-white sisters that seemed absent in the crowd. For every ten pink pussy signs waving in my face, I saw one, maybe two, signs that represented women of color. It was weird and uncomfortable. Once the bubble of indigeneity was gone from around me I was desperate to leave.

I became frustrated with the crowd screaming, “This is what democracy looks like!”

SO many sisters and womyn were absent that I began to cry. Women who had only minutes earlier been shoving me out of their way began stopping to ask me what was wrong. “This is fake,” I found myself repeating. “I hate this.” Some tried to blame it on the size of the crowd. Others tried in very gentle ways to ask me if I was on or approaching my moon. Unintentional sexism dripped from the tongues of these women as they tried to calm me.

Not in my eyes, but I’m just one woman. Outside of my own experience, I have seen hundreds of my sisters uplifted by the Women’s Marches held around the globe. Many of them had never attended a rally, felt like they belonged so fully, or mattered as much. For these reasons, I am grateful that the marches took place. I just wish a more inclusive space had been created for the non-white feminists who truly need a voice, especially in the onset of Trump’s administration.

I am lucky enough to say that I was raised by many inspiring, and impactful women. My chosen family is full of brave, radical, two-spirit, and beautiful women; many of whom are with me in D.C. right now. I was able to attend the rally/march to speak and sing alongside women I deeply love and respect — for these gifts, I am grateful.

I write this to call upon the women out there reading along. Please do not forget your fellow women of color. Trans sisters. Undocumented sisters. Sisters of different faiths. Sisters without vaginas. Sisters with vaginas of different shapes, sizes, and colors — we do not all have perfect pink pussies – please do not encourage the narrative that there is only one way for a body to be. Please remember that the wounds of women first start with the great, intentional, and continual wounding of our Mother Earth. May we continue to rise together, with all our sisters, in honor of each other and Unci Maka.

1-22-17 ~ Lee Sprague… Standing Rock Tribal Council votes for Indian Removal Act. It’s Trail of Tears version includes allied Water Protectors. Making Indian People move in the dead of winter, because someone wants the land for farming, ranching, or industrial activities, sounds familiar to me. Now the Standing Rock Tribal Council wants to Trail of Tears us out of camp? It raises historical trauma, similar to our relatives who were force marched at the hands of the US Government, from their lands.

*Concerned about the loss of revenue to the Standing Rock Tribal Programs, Council votes to dip into the 6.5 million in legal funds that were contributions to Water Protectors.” Now they want to close down each Camp?
If the concern is public safety, as stated, sheltering in place during the harsh North Dakota Winter is the safest way forward, except for DAPL cowboying it up. The main camp is not on ‘Standing Rock’ lands, it should be though. The Army Corp of Engineers claims the land we are camped on.

In this picture is Alex. I stayed in his TIPI most of this winter until it became unlivable. Thanks Alex. Lots of good times in the Tipi. We kept our batteries and controllers in there for our solar wind power system. Ben moved it. Now folks know how to set up a solar/wind now thanks to Brad Kallio.
We all could use the legal funds.

1-22-17 Jacky Smith‎… As a white European woman, I’ve been watching this feed & commenting – I think this is the first time I’ve posted here. But I read something yesterday that hit home hard and I think it’s something people like me should notice. Someone who lives near Standing Rock said that they were scared about what might happen when the visiting water protectors go home, because they remembered the terrible things that happened at Pine Ridge after AIM went home in the 70’s. Well in the 70’s I was an activist and I noticed what was going on – but I couldnt figure out a way to find out more, or to do anything about it. And then I got involved in anti-apartheid, and didnt have time for any other campaigns. I apologise for that, from the bottom of my heart. This time, we have social media and a shedload of people all round the world are watching. We need to carry on watching, and noticing, and talking about it – and we need you guys living at Standing Rock to keep posting, keep telling us what’s going on, keep talking to us. This time I won’t get distracted, you’re top of my list. There are a lot of issues that the new president will be fighting on, we have to make sure that yours is one of the big ones. The UN are coming to investigate, the ACLU are out there, the guys that monitor the ethics of the government can be dragged kicking & screaming into the fight, climate change is getting to the point where only a combover dumbo who never goes outside can ignore it, the Chinese are making renewables so cheap that coal prices cant be propped up, gas prices are still so low that fracking makes a loss, the demand for oil is tanking. All these things are on your side, exactly as your ancestors predicted. Now is the time to keep praying, chanting, singing, dancing, talking and above all hoping. We are with you, and we’re not going to let go. Mni wicone!

1-21-17 ~ Steven Jeffrey Chrisjohn… Leaders of Standing Rock ask all camps to clean up and leave is the messages from Facebook Updater Steven Jeffrey Chrisjohn “We get frozen Rubber Bullets that can penetrate wood and skin. That’s the gift that we get. That’s the special the Indians get out here. We don’t 30 feet of distance before we get shot. We are lucky if we get 7 feet. I apologize if I put anything at risk for you at Standing Rock I only meant good will.” Steven Jeffrey Chrisjohn Read More http://tinyurl.com/z9dz8un

http://tinyurl.com/zty79ad 1-21-17 ~ Lyla June…I am a Diné (Navajo) woman but I wrote this last verse in Spanish because our native brothers and sisters in Central and South America experience a deeper suppression of thier culture and identity than we do up here in the “the states”. The Eagle and the Condor are coming together. This is why we are mislabeled “hispanic” or “latino”. Don’t let the imaginary border fool us. We are one tribe of Turtle Island! I also want to acknowledge that some of the first Indigenous Peopeles that were forced into hiding were the medicine women of Old Europe. They estimate that 6-9 million women were raped, beaten, tortured, burned alive or drowned alive for being “witches.” Let us reclaim our Earth Selves no matter what “race” you are and do it soon! The earth may depend on it.

Come join us at the Black Hills Unity Concert this weekend! September 9-11, 2016. www.TheUnityConcert.com. Many are headed to http://sacredstonecamp.org/ in Cannonball, ND after the concert to protect the water from DAPL. If the judge rules in our favor some might come to the concert to celebrate. #NoDAPL #ProtectMaunaKea #DoodaFracking#Run4Salmon

1-21-17 ~ Kaelly Salazar… Sorry for the poor photo quality, but I had to share this.
They are targetting those of us trying to document the situation. He was aiming right at me with his weapon. Jon Ziegler was targetted last night for live streaming and nearly lost his pinky. They were aiming for his phone. (Anyone have an update on him?)
Pray for these officers… Pray for us.

1-21-17 ~ Confluence Documentary with Dallas Goldtooth … WATER IS LIFE
The Lakota have long prophesied that one day a great black snake would slither through the land, pollute the water, and bring great destruction to the people and the Earth…. In 2014, Energy Transfer Partners announced plans to build a pipeline that would transport fracked crude from the Bakken formation to refineries in the Gulf Coast. Obama had recently lifted the ban on exporting petroleum via the international market; big oil needed to find a way to capitalize on this. Using the smokescreen of “energy independence from the Middle East,” as propaganda, the public in North Dakota believed that this was about decreasing our dependency on foreign oil. In all actuality, it was just about profits for oil companies and would create very few jobs here in the US. The Dakota Access Pipeline originally proposed route crossed the Missouri River near Bismarck, but was re-routed through native land in violation of several treaties signed with the government and threatened their drinking water supply (as well as for near 30 other million people downstream). When construction began and sacred burial sites were being destroyed, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe realized that this was the manifestation of the prophecy of the black snake. It needed to be stopped.

In April of 2016, after runs across the country to raise awareness, members of the Youth Council set up camp along the Missouri River to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. After putting out a call for support, the camps have swelled to as many as 10,000 Water Protectors from around 500 tribes as well as non-native allies who showed solidarity to the cause. An unprecedented peaceful demonstration, water protectors began praying and chaining themselves the DAPL construction equipment. Many were arrested by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department, who essentially was working as a private security force for Energy Transfer Partners.

In the beginning, there was a complete media blackout and independent journalists who were arriving to tell the story were being specifically targeted. Water protectors and free press were brutalized, shot with rubber bullets, attacked by viscous police dogs, shot with tear gas canisters, concussion grenades and pepper sprayed for protesting peacefully. Communications have been jammed using sting rays and dirt boxes; Indigenous leaders have been spied on in this advanced Orwellian surveillance state. To date, Energy Transfer Partners has spent near 200 million dollars in private security on top of 22 million in tax payer money for law enforcement to finance the paramilitary spectacle. Arrestees have been strip searched for misdemeanor trespassing offenses and held in cages that resemble dog kennels, often times in their underwear for 12 hours or more. The scene goes in direct contrast with what the United States of America supposedly stands for; although Native Americas would beg to differ that America is a just nation founded on principles of so-called democracy and human rights. The pipeline is a direct extension of the legacy of colonization and genocide that their people have endured for hundreds of years.

As the election distracted most of the public, politicians turned a blind eye to Standing Rock as it would disrupt the Democratic energy platform for the next 40 years… Most of Hillary Clinton’s top campaign contributors were financing the pipeline and Donald Trump had personally invested millions. Standing Rock chairman David Archambault II testified in front of the UN to ask for help pleading that water is a human right. As the fight against the DAPL began to pick up steam, the powers that be could no longer turn a blind eye to the human rights abuse and disregard for the law. Much spin has attempted to quell the support of the movement, but… it kept growing. An influx of media and celebrities brought even more attention to the camp. Actress Shailene Woodley, Amy Goodman, and even Presidential candidate Jill Stein were charged/arrested during front line actions. Water protectors like Red Fawn were illegally detained and held without bail. They have endured all of this to protect life’s most basic need…water.

On December 4, 2016, The Army Corps of Engineers gave the water protectors of Standing Rock a major victory when they refused to grant permits for DAPL to drill under the Missouri River. This decision shows that the power of the people cannot be ignored. Although significant, the victory is only temporary as the pipeline company is appealing the decision in federal court. Thousands of Water Protectors have remained diligent through blizzards and sub zero temperatures and remain to this day.

…the fight continues. Please stand with Standing Rock and support the indigenous led resistance against not just the DAPL, but all the other pipeline black snake construction projects around the country that threaten our water….

1-21-17 ~ Ricardo Jasper… Hi my name is Ricardo Jasper I’m a native American from the Diné nation aka Navajo Nation, im Originally from Tuba City Arizona, I’m a bitter water clan and Manygoat clan..

The reason why I’m here is because I wanted to share what I have experience in standing rock and to bring awareness to the movement, it all started with the Colorado River being contaminated when the mining company, Gold King Mine, in Silverton Colorado a team of workers with environmental protection agency accidentally released 3million gallons of toxic waste into the river, which the Animus River in Colorado had turned orange as a toxic spill continued to flow downstream and through other states, this is when I realized what was going on with fracking, and how all these oil companies were digging into our mother earth to look for oil. That’s when i started looking into more about fracking, then I heard about Standing Rock battling with oil corporations and the State of North Dakota, these companies have come so close together that the people are at a moment where they don’t feel like their voices are being heard, and so the last thing that was left for us is to assemble, is to gather together and to protest or protect, and I had the urge to go out there and help my relatives protect the water , our future generation, our kids future.

When I drove up to the camp site (Oceti Sakowin Camp) it was breathtaking my heart started to cry, the feeling was unbearably beautiful, you could feel the positive energy, you could feel the spirit around you and the love and peacefulness, the people were so kind and generous, very helpful, everybody loved each other, everybody helped each other, and if you needed help they would have volunteers there waiting to help you right away, you would wish the whole world would be like Oceti Sakowin Camp, I stayed there for like 2½ months I helped with the construction part of the camp we built Tarpees. The reason why we called them Tarpees was because they look like Tepees but they were made out of tarp, the other buildings were teepees, yurts, and hogan’s.

We started to winterize the camp and I helped out with the actions too. Actions were being on the front lines of stopping the construction of the pipeline, people sacrifice their lives, tying themselves to the equipment’s and peacefully praying for the company to stop from hurting our mother earth, to stopped them from desecrating our ancestral burial grounds, I was always at the front lines getting shot with rubber bullets being pepper sprayed for no reason, all we did was pray and try to talk to the officers and pray with them some of them would stand there and cry some were in shocked at what their fellow comrades were doing to the people, some of them would stare at you and smile then point the gun at you some would have a blast shooting people and laugh about Tear gassing us, shoot percussion grenades at the people, spraying us with cold water with water cannons in 15 degree weather, and it would go on for hours, everybody there was dedicated to protect the water, to protect what’s right for all of us, it wasn’t just an Indigenous thing it was about everybody. I told people “if I bleed red and you bleed red it’s your problem too” “It’s not about being a hero, we have no egos, and it wasn’t about being important, it was about being part of the team we stand in solidarity with standing rock we wanted to tell people that we should realize that if they should being upset about ISIS destroying those artifacts in Syria Iraq they should be twice as upset as they are desecrating them graves, destroying those ancient sites, if they’re going to be angry at the injustice around the other world then they need to start talking about the injustice here in America as well, there still Colonization going on and you can see it in the ground that she is bleeding right now, and when you look up around the other world, you see there is a river in Russia that is now red blood red because of the dirty chemicals from a metal plant that’s there now and we gonna have the same thing here, this is the company that’s done this before and this isn’t anything that we can get rid of, and you know I remind people that we can’t eat green paper, we can’t drink that Gucci purse sweetheart All we have is this water, all we have is this Land, and we have to protect it, we belong to the earth, the earth doesn’t belong to us, we just protect her, she doesn’t ask for money, all she asks is to take care of her as she will take care of us.

My experience in Standing Rock is something that I will never forget, it was beautiful it was emotional but we all stood together, we all looked after each other, some of us may have PTSD but we are all here for each other, now I have all these beautiful, beautiful people, my new extended family from all over the world, different nations, different tribes, different nationalities, if we keep standing together fight for what’s right for our people for our mother earth, for our future generations, we can the change the world.. We are the people we don’t need one person to run our country, we have the power to be ONE LIFE, ONE LOVE, ONE NATION.. AHÒ I could talk for hours and hours about Standing Rock… I will never forget it !!

1-21-17 ~ Johnny Dangers… Pro DAPL North Dakota Republican Congressman Cramer said earlier today Trump will rescind the EIS and approve Missouri River crossing possibly as soon as Monday. We will soon see how #Trump actually acts on the pipeline and if he respects the process.
Share! #NoDAPL #WaterisLife #J20

“By next week the EIS will be rescinded,” Cramer told me referring to the lengthy environmental study President Obama initiated in his final days in office. The Congressman said the Trump administration has the authority to rescind it because, in legal filings responding to the pipeline company’s request that the study be enjoined, the Obama administration itself argued that this was the case.

Cramer also said a decision granting permission for the pipeline to cross the Lake Oahe reservoir is imminent. “The easement will be issued maybe as early as Monday,” he said.

1-21-17 ~ ‎Jim Petoskey‎… Do not sit around waiting for the next great leader to come along. That’s how we got into this mess to begin with. Sitting around waiting for the next, Kennedy, the next Crazy Horse, the next Sitting Bull, the next Pontiac or Tecumseh. Martin Luther King or Ghandi . When they do come, they kill them off. Instead of giving a damn about the khardashians, the Super Bowls, worry about how to respect all life and what that really means. Become a participant in life. Give a sincere damn about our neighbors, the sick, the aged, the future of generations to come. We sat back and watched others do what everyone should be doing. We let people exploit the resources, pollute the land water and food and wonder why we are sick. We all have a brain, use it, but make sure your heart is connected. Nurture your spirits, not man made religions. DO NOT be afraid to be curious, question things, That’s exactly what they want. They have successfully dumbed down education and in turn dumbed down us. Now do yourself and the world a favor THINK. Even question what I just told you.

1-21-17 ~ Elizabeth Hoover… Was sitting on the plane editing photos that I took at Standing Rock over the past several days, and noticed the ladies next to me peering at my screen. They asked if I was a war photographer- where were these photos taken? Right here in the US of A, ladies. Yes those are unarmed civilians those National Guard and police officers are shooting at. Indian reservations have again become military training grounds

1-20-17 ~ Jon Ziegler… Here’s an update from the journalist who almost got his pink blown off a couple nights ago… Jon. Please send prayers for his healing. .

“Surgery went well. Took longer than expected as part of the bone was smashed “like a chicken bone hit with a hammer”-DR

Your well wishes and support will get me through this and out on the front lines asap. It has been my honor and a privilege to stream the truth for you these last 5 years. From Chicago to Ferguson; Baltimore to Oakland; NY and elsewhere, I have never stopped learning and being inspired by all the passionate ppl I have come to know, some of whom I now consider family. And that goes for many of you online as well!

I will be in a hotel resting and elevating my hand (picture make more sense now? ) for the next few days.

1-20-17 ~ Lee Sprague… This is the Larceny and Theft report I filed. I’m alleging the Sheriff Department stole and destroyed four of my canoes, paddles, rescue first aid kits, Also stolen, part of my canoe trailer.
Report Filed

Not accurate is officer 4973’s written comment that I confessed to bringing goods to to Turtle Hill.
“We carry warm clothes and blankets, gloves, mittens in water proof bags. We carry watersheds to the prayer lines. We carry people hurt by the Morton County Sheriff, Because they don’t respond to water protectors in harm’s way. Harm visited on the Water Protectors by the Morton County Sheriff Department.“

The REAL ‘Lone Ranger’ Was An African American Lawman Who Lived With Native American Indians
The real “Lone Ranger,” it turns out, was an African American man named Bass Reeves (July 1838 – 12 January 1910), who the legend was based upon. Perhaps not surprisingly, many aspects of his life were written out of the story, including his ethnicity. The basics remained the same: a lawman hunting bad guys, accompanied by a Native American, riding on a white horse, and with a silver trademark. Continue Reading http://tinyurl.com/kr6zycg

1-19-17 ~ Jim Graywolf Petruzzi‎… Take care Friends in the light—Finger Pointers, Name Callers and Dissent Sowers are everywhere

I have tried to not comment on negativity, dissension causers, finger pointers and attackers – but a lot of people in this group and others keep asking me about these things. And want to know why it seems to be increasing. They ask why groups are questioning groups… and why some are attacking posters and video people… and on it goes.

I see people attacking others in the camps, on the virtual support and education pages, on personal pages and elsewhere. Questioning motives and trustworthiness. Questioning money use and intentions. Asking why they are not white or red or yellow or black. Speaking total lies. Working with all their might to create dissent so it will destroy everyone’s work from within. I have seen people I know to be working with all they can for clean water being attacked and villefied. And when I have come to their defense, watched myself attacked. And others. Several we watch in the group attack a list of water protectors each day. Sadly, some believe too many lies.

I see more attacks as we create the Water is Life Movement because that scares the hell out of the business people and politicians. Each day on our Standing Rock Protectors group we add hundreds of people – and about 25% are phony accounts when we check.

If we let these trolls and company plants divide us we will collapse into chaos. Or even those people still stuck in thinking one group or protest or people can lead this entire peaceful revolution.

Question what you see and hear. And when you think you know the truth – question further. Continue to come together as one. In the way of the prophecy of the four colors uniting.

Together we will win this war. The worse enemy now is ourselves if we allow the dessention sowers to divide and conquer. None of us are perfect, but we are all standing for Standing Rock, clean water and other camps everywhere. Focus there and let the hate mongers flow over us like a wind.

Thanks for hearing me.
~ Jim Graywolf Petruzzi

1-19-19 ~ Cody Two Bears… Hau’ Mitakiyapi (All My Relatives) I am Cody Two Bears (Mah’to Nun’pa) Councilman of the Cannon Ball Community (Eyapaha) for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. I am Yanktonai (From the Cut Head Band) My Ancestors come from the east side of the Missouri River and lived there for 125 years before 1862 when the Minnesota Uprising and White Stone Hill Massacre moved us to the west side of the Missouri River. I speak to you today with a strong heart. I wanna share some concerns with you that we has a tribe and has a community do not agree with the current situation going on at the Backwater Bridge north of Cannon Ball. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and elders have consistently asked people not to confront DAPL and law enforcement since after the Decision was made on December 4, 2016 and to stay away from the Bridge. We all know the Bridge was tested and it needed minor repairs to open it back up. But with what’s been happening the past three nights have hurt those chances of it being open again. Our Membership need that bridge open for emergency and daily commutes. We have elderly and people with a lot of health issues, dialysis, diabetics, heart problems. We have community members that have business that are being affected. Not only that but we know drugs and alcohol use has been in these camps recently. We the Tribe and its membership know this fight isn’t over. But the more unnecessary actions that take place north of Cannon Ball hurts our chances with winning this fight in court and at the government level moving forward. I feel we are in a great position now that Native Nations will have a big Voice Moving forward. We owe a great thanks to everyone that has came and support us with this fight. But we feel now the peace and prayerful actions are not happening anymore. I see violence happening from our side the people that came here to help us. We the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and our Membership don’t support these actions it’s only hurting our chances moving forward. Once again We ask people to stand down. If we truly believe in prayer and trust in it we will win. Let our prayers do all our actions. Let’s not stoop to there level cause once we do we are no better than them!! They want us to start to be violent so The Tribe it’s membership and this whole movement will lose everything we have gained. Please be respectful and honor the wishes of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe it’s elderly and it’s membership.. Thanks to you all once again. Hau Mitakuye Oyasin..

1-19-17 ~ Tomas Karmelo Amaya… “Women are traditionally associated with water and men with fire, but this moment made me think of the culmination of the two forces. As the shadows cast across the sides of the teepee, a home that represents the womb from which we are reborn daily, I also thought of a blazing ember. Fire cannot burn without oxygen and water contains oxygen just like our women hold the answers to our deepest tribulations. They are our ultimate medicine, our healers, our guardians of the future.”

The night before Morton County law enforcement attacked water protectors, Jade and I drove around camp looking for Faith Spotted Eagle so that we could interview her for @indigenousrising. Once we arrived to her location, I was not allowed to enter the teepee because a women’s meeting was in session. As I walked away I noticed the silhouettes of my aunties and sisters projected on the structure.

Women are traditionally associated with water and men with fire, but this moment made me think of the culmination of the two forces. As the shadows cast across the sides of the teepee, a home that represents the womb from which we are reborn daily, I also thought of a blazing ember. Fire cannot burn without oxygen and water contains oxygen just like our women hold the answers to our deepest tribulations. They are our ultimate medicine, our healers, our guardians of the future.

I left shortly after taking this photo and I would not see Jade until several hours later. Although she did not get to interview Faith, she came back more powerful than ever.

Photo and Story by Tomas Karmelo Amaya

1-19-17 ~ Nataanii Means… “Today I board a plane to Utah still tasting the tear gas and mace pellets, still hearing the rounds of rubber bullets and bean bags being fired off like popcorn. Last night a group of young men put a tipi up on the road on our side of the bridge. Signifying our continued fight for treaty rights. The police then crossed the bridge and tore down our sacred home and took the poles.

Last night when I arrived it was hectic; you know there will be people that are agitators that do jeopardize a lot with how they act on frontlines like this. We de-escalated them, and you also have to understand young men who have been taking this abuse for months, who have been made to feel lower than low by the police that support corporate entities like DAPL. I’m not making excuses for them, but there are ways to talk with them. After all the commotion we remained prayerful, we sang our sacred songs, we prayed for Leonard Peltier who was denied clemency, we prayed for our treaty rights, we continued to try and clean the bridge as best we could. Again I want to stress that I know our fight is not with the police, that it is in the courts, but we have to let the world know the violence is still happening, that the lights are still up, in no way have we negotiated a situation that benefits us, we’ve been weak. As long as we keep these police out, we exhaust them and their resources, if they want to continue to make the conscious choice to protect a pipeline, then we will make them stand in the cold with us. Continuing to live on treaty land with lights in our faces, heavy police forces, and a drill sitting there is a slap in the face.

The police reacted in violence last night. They reacted to prayer in violence. Like always. We have NO WEAPONS, we know what THEY are capable of so we protect ourselves with shields, we are not looking to fight, but we will protect ourselves as we try our best to protect the water and make these statements. DO NOT look at us any other way than what we are, that is young people caring for our children’s future. Support us and remember we are people of strength, stop showing our weakness by questioning everything someone does.

If only the old leaders were alive to remind us who and where we come from. But we are the next, the young generation. And we are here standing with NO FEAR. I watched Russell Means stand with no fear, and we are trying our damn best to do what we can. My dad was shot on Standing Rock by BIA police after Wounded Knee. I also know he would be ashamed and sad of what is happening here, how OUR OWN PEOPLE ARE TREATING OUR OWN FOR ONLY WANTING TO BE FREE!

Somebody said last night “If we cross the barricade they’ll stop the EIS” well first we DID NOT want to cross it, second, why do we have to act from a position of fear. That is a direct threat on our own treaty land. That is a scare tactic, I just want to know where is our strength, I haven’t seen it since my father passed. The olders here act and say everything from fear, I understand that, but I’m not used to that.

So here we are. Young people remaining in prayer and unarmed strength. I love you all.

Again, I am no one. Here, I am just ikce wicasa, I’m only a common man that wants clean water for the future. I am not a leader, nor do I want to be, just updating the social atmosphere with my thoughts. A’ho…”

1-19-17 ~ International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee… I woke up this morning excited, happy, hopeful and imaginging the upcoming weekend. I was going to pick Uncle Leonard up from prison and drive him up north. I was going to stop at his daughter Marquetta’s in Kansas, his sister Betty Ann’s in Fargo, ND, and his grandchildren Cyrus and Alex in Grand Forks and lastly his hometown in Turtle Mountain.

The family has been commuicating constantly in these last hours, so excited about our future plans and finally having the eldest man in the family home.

We have had thousands of people from all over the world praying for his freedom, which could only be given by Obama. We all believed and had so much faith in our President. We believed he truly cared for Leonard.

I had just finished visiting with a friend with so much joy that Uncle Leonard would be free and home by this weekend. Not even fifteen minutes later, i was given the heart wrenching news he was denied clemency. Basically a death sentence. I am asking all of you to let Obama hear our OUTCRY over and disappointment with his decision today.

Call, email, tweet. Use Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and your powerful prayers… whatever is your means of communication… to let him know we are not happy. The people are not happy. His family is not happy. You can change your mind, Obama. You have the power.

I beg and plead. Hear our outcry!
On behalf of Leonards family
Kari Ann Boushee
Co-Director of the ILPDC

1-19-17~ Mitra Singh‎… I found this tent buried in snow, Rosebud camp at Standing Rock, in the excavation I found an item I would consider of great value and notebook paper with handwriting that says owner arrived on Aug 10 and was arrested on Aug 11. If you can name the valuable item I can hold it if you are returning. I am camped next to your old spot

1-19-17 ~ Margo Talk… Something is going wrong. There are instigators and outsiders provoking violence, laughing, swearing and yelling death threats at authorities tonight. Myron asks our research help to check whether DAPL is trying to distract all from something else. Are they taking action to illegally pump oil thru the gas pipeline already there? I cannot tell my friends from my enemies in this. So this will be my last post. Prayers for all involved. Please follow Myron Dewey/Digital Smoke Signals for the truth. Link to his livestream here:https://m.facebook.com/story.php…

1-1-19 ~ ‘Stormfronts’ of North Dakota’s Streets… White supremacists not finished with the Peace Garden State, form hit list of small towns. Since the town of Leith’s victory against white supremacists, eleven towns across North Dakota made their hit list. The towns range from populations of 16 to nearly 7,000. Listed by names, pictures, and real estate advertisements by Pioneer Little Europe North Dakota, a white supremacist operation welcoming Nazis, the Creativity Movement, Ku Klux Klan, militants, white nationalists, and racialists, the North Dakota towns are the group’s next targets to become Aryan enclaves. Continue Reading http://tinyurl.com/hope3x4

1-19-17 ~ This was posted 45 mins ago by someone who is at Standing Rock currently. “All call. DAPL has turned off all its lights overlooking oceti sakawin Rose bud and Sacred stone. They have NEVER turned off the lights an only Jonny Danger live feed showed for a minute to see absolute dark….. Something is happening. Even if not something is and calls need to be made. Post numbers in comments if you have them. Help standing rock before this company and government allow the unthinkable. Hasn’t this gone on long enough. Haven’t enough been injured and mistreated for simply wanting to live. Do something”

1-19-17 ~ I can Confirm all DAPL lights across the river are off. We don’t know why and this has never happened before. #NoDAPL
Fog is also extremely thick right now.

1-18-17 ~ JOURNALIST TARGETED BY MORTON COUNTY SHERIFFS AND THUGS… Morton County law enforcement and thugs target journalist on the front lines at Standing Rock last night.
Last night Jon Ziegler was targeted as a journalist. “Law enforcement” called out his name and then law enforcement specifically shot at the hand he was holding his camera live streaming. His pinky is completely broken, and his leg is injured as well, he is getting medical care at the moment.
This is what Morton County calls using none lethal weapons on water protectors, when will we put a stop to this?

1-18-17 ~ Mike Fasig’… In listening to several Live Feeds, while the Protectors stood and prayed and drummed the Police went and stole and tore down prayer Tipi they had stationed and flags. Obvious instigating anger.

1-18-17 ~ Jason George… Hello loved ones.Hope that you and all are well and warm. There was violence here last night. I am well and still stand strong, but there were shots fired gas deployed and protesters arrested. Please pray for us all that we might be gifted the ability to show our lost brothers and sisters the good red road without further bloodshed. That we might help give them the courage to pull down that barricade and join us in this beauty and warmth that our mother has lovingly set before us. I send love from all of us here in standing rock to all of you wherever you may be. J.(High hat)

1-18-17 ~ Lee Sprague… I’m here at the Attorney General’s Office at the North Dakota State Capital to file a complaint for the theft and destruction of our canoes, rescue equipment, my cell phone, my paddles, my canoe trailer lids to trailer storage boxes were also stolen.
The Attorney Generals Office said to me, Morton County has to take my formal complaint. The Attorney General has no jurisdiction over the Morton County Sheriff’s Department.

Hmmm, the old run around by the government trick. Like I’m the first Indian to figure that out

1-17-17 ~ “My struggle is what made me who I am…. I want my children to be proud of their culture, and mostly, their dad.” Watch and listen to what Kansas has to say about being a strong Native American man. #NativeHope #SeasonOfHope

1-17-17 ~ Colter Hoyt… It’s happening NOW at Standing Rock! All day tear gas, rubber bullets to the face, multiple shots. March and prayer attempted to reach the DAPL drill sight.
The Backwater bridge is active THIS second!
Pray for the brave unarmed Water Protectors!!
Mni Wiconi!

1-17-17 ~ Linda Black Elk… “This is not rumor: one of our water protectors was hit by a cop on a snowmobile…hard. Medics couldn’t reach her. Police called an ambulance and it appears that she has been transported off site. PLEASE, PLEASE pray for this young woman. Call the State of North Dakota Department of Heath and Morton County law enforcement demanding that she receive immediate care! #NoDAPL”

1-17-17 ~ Chase IronEyes… “Strength to the brothers and sisters on the bridge right now getting maced, shot & arrested. That bridge blockade is an economic sanction to punish Standing Rock for standing up, punitive measures to force Native people back into 2nd class citizenhood, to turn tribal & state public opinion against the water protectors & its working. This is why we are kept poor, in tutelage. They can manipulate by withholding rations. The chains are there if you look. This is about more than a pipeline. This is about an inevitable and natural liberation from the state of oppression being perpetrated on not only Native Nations but all human beings.”

Calling my beloved adoptive caravan of veterans. Calling all veterans. Calling all protectors able to withstand subzero elements. Your strength is needed. Your presence is needed. My heart pulls me to return immediately, but camp is requesting I stay in DC to bring information to the public.

Billy Taylor, your skill set as front-line peacekeeper and the skill sets of our DNC teammates would be of great help in Standing Rock now if you are able and up for it.

SHARING IS CARING.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
SHARE THE LOVE, TEAM.

1-17-17 ~ Myron Dewey… Updates About Standing Rock With #NoDAPL Warriors Digital Smoke Signals (1/17/2017) The Movement North Dakota Bill Would Protect Drivers Who ‘Accidentally’ Hit And Kill Protesters A bill that state GOP Rep. Keith Kempenich introduced would exempt drivers from liability if they *accidentally hit* a pedestrian, including but not limited to off-roading snowmobiles.

1-17-17 ~ Jon Ziegler… Anti-drone missile system confirmed on top of a hill guarding the DAPL drill pad. Many water protectors made it further around the bend to the east closer to the drill site and were met with police and reports of mace used. We climbed up the hill on the west side right up next to the launcher.

1-17-17 ~ Anoli Wood‎ … So last night I am cooking dinner and suddenly got a coughing fit. It just kept getting worse the longer I cooked. Sat down to eat but couldn’t catch my breath so I put my plate to the side until I could breathe. Came upstairs to try and relax. I log on Facebook to see live feed that the water Protectors being attacked with tear gas and shot in the backs with rubber bullets. My coughing fit was just like being hit with the tear gas. I couldn’t take a breath and my eyes were tearing up. All this is happening to me at the same time they were being attacked. I think it was a sign. Such is life as an empath… across the ocean in England I felt their distress. When I woke up this morning I have a bad painful back right below my left shoulder blade. I had hubby look at it and it’s bruised. Someone there was channeling me. #lookingforanswers.

1-17-17 ~ Dallas Goldtooth… Take a good look at this. This an AN/TWQ-1 Avenger vehicle. It shoots missiles and is used for surface-to-air defense scenarios.

It is now deployed to overlook the #NoDAPL camps. That’s right. North Dakota has deployed more military vehicles to the Cannonball river area. This is intimidation tactics 101. Demonstrate the extent of your power in hopes to deter action.

To be clear, there is no indication that this vehicle is armed. Numerous veteran allies have stated that this vehicle is mostly likely being used for its FLIR system (Thermal, Night, and Infrared Vision). This will allow the police to track movement at night or in snowy conditions.

However, it DOES NOT BELONG in the area of what remains an overall peaceful demonstration. How can the state hope to further the message of peaceful resolution when they continue to escalate the situation?

1-16-17 ~ SHOTS FIRED! #NODAPL BACKWATER BRIDGE STANDING ROCK- xBLACKxOPSxSECRETSx
Militarized Police standing on ancestral graves, running over people with snowmobiles and shooting them in the back with rubber bullets as they’re walking off the bridge, many being maced with pepper spray. The water tanker was filling water cannons.

1-16-17 ~ CRAZY! ANTI-DRONE MISSILES AT #NoDAPL SITE, LAW TO RUN OVER ACTIVISTS – DAHBOO77
These shocking images were caught by Rebelutionary Z on twitter. As you can see, there is a surface to air anti-drone system now setting on the top of the ridge.

1-16-17 ~ Simon R Jones … Camp was pretty intense this evening, so much going on and being said…
100 people made it to the Drill pad, they were target w rubber bullets,
Turtle island action (1 arrest)
DAPL & military are mobilizing,
Planes flying over camp all day,
Helicopters flying lower each day, circling camp
We remain in Prayer Strong

1-16-17 ~ Johnny Dangers… Police mobilizing for Large Peaceful Prayer Walk on Day of Action! We are now near the Cannonball River near the Drillpad! Water Protectors went on another Prayer Walk to the Cannonball River and placed 2 Prayer flags for the one the police stole!
Earlier today police stole the Water Protector’s Prayer Flag on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation land since yesterday’s Prayer Walk!!!
Do they not care about freedom of religion?

1-16-17 ~ Wicapi Otto‎… We need people on the phone and sending letters questioning the DAPL contents.
Why did DAPL take 146 million gallons of water from the Missouri River. That amount is extremely excessive for water sampling. That is NOT a sampling amount, that is just shy of the amount Nestle’ just purchased from Michigan for bottling. The man who believes that water is not a human right. Current Wall Street Trends are showing that water is a commodity that is turning to Gold in the market.

We need to question the motives of DAPL on whether this is about the oil or the oil AND the water. Demand an investigation to what happened to 146 million gallons of water taken by DAPL today. Contact your state representative, contact the White House, contact Army Corp of Engineers and demand to know what happened to all that water TODAY.

1-16-17 ~ Water Protectors went on another Prayer Walk to the Cannonball River and placed 2 Prayer flags for the one the police stole! Share!
Earlier today police stole the Water Protector’s Prayer Flag on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation land since yesterday’s Prayer Walk!!!
Do they not care about freedom of religion?

1-16-17 ~ Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance… “We have to keep repeating the prayers over and over again. When I reflect on my life of 79 years, I see a flat road of destruction. Youths are dying of drugs and ozone layer is depleting. The most powerful tool with us is to pray and pray with other communities for world peace.” – Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance

Vanessa aka Sioux Z, Navajo Nation … “Last week, a week and a half ago, when everybody was moving the trucks off the bridge I was given a head shot by Morton County’s Sheriff Department. Six, five, six? I’m not sure how many. There were quite a few of them tear gas canisters launched, aimed at my head. Also after I was hit in the eye with one of the tear gas canisters as I left to run; I was also shot with a rubber bullet in the back, my lower leg, my lower butt, my upper thigh area. Yeah, that’s what happened.

I am a dispatcher for Oceti Sakowin Akitchita. I’m a warrior. I’m a dispatcher of information. Right now, my role is kind of changing now that I can’t be…..I’m still here. I still answer dispatcher calls, but not being able to go to the front lines any more, which I’m still going to go. The Veterans are here, so I’m going to run with the Veterans over there, but my goal now is to really look at our health care system as being Native American, which is also in our treaties. You know, I didn’t get the care that I needed within 72 hours to save my eye because I had IHS from Navajo and Arizona Medicaid, and nobody would work with me, you know? I’ll never see again, and it’s just so sad that our system is broken in so many ways. And I just want the world to know that there’s a lot more things to our treaties other than land. Healthcare was included in these treaties, and our government needs to start honoring these treaties, so my role is changing a little bit.”

Please consider donating to Vanessa’s gofundme, so that she may get the medical care she needs. She also asks that you pray.